1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to operating systems and networks.
2. Background Art
Computers execute many different software programs, including operating systems. An operating system manages the resources of a computer so that many different processes can share the computer memory and processor. Basic tasks performed by an operating system include allocating memory, prioritizing system requests, controlling input and output devices, facilitating networking and/or managing file systems. Most operating systems enable a user to manage the operating system with a command line interpreter or graphical user interface. The operating system also forms a platform for other system software and for application software. Common operating systems now include MAC OS X, WINDOWS, UNIX and LINUX operating systems.
However, there are several limitations to the current use of operating systems. For instance, most of these operating systems require frequent updates that can at times be troublesome or costly. One current method of updating operating systems provides patches and replaces portions of a local storage or system registry. This limits the use of the local device when it is being updated and requires frequent reboots. These issues are costly and time consuming for managers of large numbers of computers. Operating systems also continue to rapidly grow in size and strain the resources of many computers and mobile devices.
Mobile devices such as personal data assistants (PDAs), smart phones and pocket PCs, have also come to use larger embedded operating systems, including Palm OS and Windows Mobile. These embedded operating systems often are bundled with a basic suite of application software for managing personal information and enjoying multimedia content. Modern mobile devices house operating systems that provide web browsing, multitasking and increased security.
Mobile device operating systems are also limited. They often do not provide the level of functionality of a typical desktop or laptop operating system. Some mobile devices allow for the synchronization of files and contact information, but this often involves connecting directly to a home computer in order to ensure the same information exists on both the home computer and the mobile device. In addition, this often pertains only to settings, files and other limited information. Recent mobile operating systems provide for users to develop their own applications for the mobile device. However, this flexibility is limited to application development only, not the transferability of the operating system itself over a network.
Furthermore, a computer or mobile device is often tied to a single operating system, which resides wholly on the local device or its hard disk. Moving to a different device, hardware configuration, vendor, or version of an operating system requires a great interruption in service to the local device, a system overhaul or even a new local device. It has also not been reasonably possible to synchronize the operating system and configuration across different devices.